Cyclone Titli leaves 8 dead in Andhra, 3 lakh evacuated in Odisha

INDIA, OCT 11:  The “very severe” cyclonic storm, “Titli”, left eight people dead, besides causing widespread damage in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh Thursday, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said. The cyclone threw normal life out of gear as heavy to very heavy rains started lashing the two districts since late Wednesday night. Eight people were killed in different storm-related incidents.

While a 62-year-old woman died at Gudivada Agraharam village after an uprooted tree fell on her, a 55-year-old man died in a house collapse at Rotanasa village in Srikakulam district, the SDMA said.

The road network suffered extensive damage in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, while the power distribution network was also vastly affected. More than 2,000 electric poles were uprooted by strong winds. The Eastern Power Distribution Company that caters to the electricity needs of the north coastal districts reported that the power distribution system for 4,319 villages and six towns was affected in Srikakulam district.

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said a 62-year-old woman died at Gudivada Agraharam village after an uprooted tree fell on her and a 55-year-old man lost his life in a house collapse at Rotanasa village in Srikakulam district. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) informed that six fishermen, who had put out to sea, were killed. Of the 67 fishing boats that had ventured into the sea over the last few days from Kakinada in East Godavari district, 65 had returned to the shore safely, the CMO said. Efforts were on to bring back the remaining two boats safely, SDMA added in a release.

Around three lakh people were evacuated in Odisha along the eastern coast as the very severe cyclonic storm ‘Titli’ made a landfall Thursday morning, the Home Ministry said Thursday. Eight districts of Odisha — Ganjam, Khurdha, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Gajapati Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore — were hit by the very severe cyclonic storm that caused heavy to very heavy rainfall in large parts of the state, damaging thatched and asbestos houses and street lights. The cyclone crossed the north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coast near Palasa in Srikakulam district to the southwest of Gopalpur with estimated maximum sustained surface wind speed of 140-150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph between 430 hours and 0530 hours, according to a statement issued by the Home Ministry.

The very severe cyclonic storm ‘Titli’ did not have much effect in West Bengal following its landfall Thursday, but the southern districts of the state are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rain as it is may turn towards Gangetic West Bengal, officials said. The storm is likely to move northwestwards till Thursday evening and then recurved northeastwards towards Gangetic West Bengal, weakening gradually into a deep depression by Friday morning, the weatherman said. The cyclone has made landfall early Thursday with surface wind reaching speed of 126 kmph at Gopalpur of Ganjam district in neighbouring Odisha.